The 2025^th witnessed many anniversaries and memorable dates, but for art lovers, this year was marked primarily by the centenary of the Art Deco style.

The museum exposition features an extensive collection of items in this art style. On the third expositional level, there is a thematic section dedicated to sculptures by the leading artisans of the Art Deco era.

In the latest issue of the column ‘Audio Stories’, we present an interesting exhibit. The sculpture “Polar Bear”, created by Demetre Chiparus, is one of his documented works and a rare example of animalism in his oeuvre.

The story presents the evolution of Chiparus' style: from early chryselephantine sculptures to terracotta and plaster animal figures, which became his main works during the war years. The sculpture “Polar Bear” demonstrates the key features of the Art Deco style: streamlined geometric shapes, graphic silhouettes and decorative interpretation of the image, while retaining its dynamism and character.

The story also highlights the connection between the work of Chiparus and the legacy of François Pompon, the history of its creation at the famous Chardon foundry, and the significance of this animalistic composition as the final chord in Chiparus' work and in the Art Deco era as a whole.

Our new video clip will introduce you to the key events in the history of the Art Deco style and the distinctive features of this many-sided style, where many issues are mixed. The love for classical art there coexisted with avant-garde experiments, and sophisticated craft techniques - with a passion for advanced industrial technologies. You will be acquainted with the exposition section, which presents a number of outstanding works by European sculptors, representatives of the Art Deco era, such as Demetre Chiparus, Armand Godard, Claire Colinet, Ferdinand Preiss and others. Their works can be examined in detail in the collection section “Sculptures”.